Method and system for evaluation of the hemodynamic model in depression for diagnosis and treatment

• US 20090054774A1
• Filed: 08/26/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Chidi Njemanze
• Original Assignee: Philip Chidi Njemanze
• Inventors: Njemanze, Philip Chidi
• Granted Patent: US 7,942,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/441
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and system for determining the cerebral hemodynamic model for depression, using carotid duplex ultrasound to establish percent stenosis of the extracranial right and left internal carotid arteries and transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument to measure mean flow velocity within the cerebral including the right and left internal carotid arteries, right and left middle cerebral arteries, right and left anterior cerebral arteries, right and left posterior cerebral arteries, and basilar artery. The percent carotid stenosis and the mean flow velocity values in cerebral arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model associated with depression in men and women, respectively.

Claims

1. A non-invasive method to determine the cerebral hemodynamics in a human subject with depression including, steps of:

(a) obtaining a subject'"'"'s baseline percent carotid stenosis in the extracranial right and left carotid arteries using B-mode and Doppler measurements;

(b) obtaining the subject'"'"'s baseline mean blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries on both sides of the brain using transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument;

(c) comparing the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left to normal limits;

(d) simultaneously with (c) determining if the percent carotid stenosis of one side is greater than the other;

(e) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the right or left anterior cerebral artery is lower than normal limits;

(f) simultaneously with (e) determining if the mean flow velocity of one side of the anterior cerebral artery is greater than the other;

(g) simultaneously with (f) determining if there was a right or left anterior cerebral artery hyperperfusion;

(h) simultaneously with (g) determining if there was a right or left anterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(i) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the right or left posterior cerebral artery are lower than normal limits;

(j) simultaneously with (i) determining if mean blood flow velocity of one side of the posterior cerebral artery is greater than the other;

(k) simultaneously with (j) determining if there was a right or left posterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(l) determining the DSM-IV score using the standard questionnaire;

(m) simultaneously with (l) determining if the DSM-IV score was greater than or equal to five; and

(n) simultaneously with (m) determining if the cerebral hemodynamic model could be associated with depression.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the said device comprises a color flow Doppler and B-mode ultrasound instrument means to acquire blood flow velocities and calculate percent carotid stenosis.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein another said device comprise a transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument means to measure mean cerebral blood flow velocity.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the said device is operatively connected to a microcomputer program that simulates the cerebral hemodynamic model.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left carotid arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the values of the mean flow velocity in cerebral arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model.

7. A non-invasive method and system to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in a male subject with depression including, steps of:

(a) obtaining a subject'"'"'s baseline percent carotid stenosis in the extracranial right and left carotid arteries using B-mode and Doppler measurements;

(b) obtaining the subject'"'"'s baseline mean blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries on both sides of the brain using transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument;

(c) comparing the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left to normal limits;

(d) simultaneously with (c) determining if the percent carotid stenosis of the right is greater than the left;

(e) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the right anterior cerebral artery is lower than normal limits;

(f) simultaneously with (e) determining if the mean flow velocity of the left anterior cerebral artery is greater than the right;

(g) simultaneously with (f) determining if there was a right anterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(h) simultaneously with (g) determining if there was a left anterior cerebral artery hyperperfusion;

(i) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the left posterior cerebral artery is lower than normal limits;

(j) simultaneously with (i) determining if mean blood flow velocity of the right posterior cerebral artery is greater than the left;

(k) simultaneously with (j) determining if there was a left posterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(l) determining the DSM-IV score using the standard questionnaire;

(m) simultaneously with (l) determining if the DSM-IV score was greater than or equal to five; and

(n) simultaneously with (m) determining if the cerebral hemodynamic model could be associated with depression in men.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the said device comprises a color flow Doppler and B-mode ultrasound instrument means to calculate percent carotid stenosis.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein another said device comprise a transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument means to measure mean cerebral blood flow velocity.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein the said device is operatively connected to a microcomputer program that simulates the cerebral hemodynamic model.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left carotid arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in men.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the values of the mean flow velocity in cerebral arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in men.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the male cerebral hemodynamic model is used for differential diagnosis of depression in men.

14. A non-invasive method and system to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in a female subject with depression including, steps of:

(a) obtaining a subject'"'"'s baseline percent carotid stenosis in the extracranial right and left carotid arteries using B-mode and Doppler measurements;

(b) obtaining the subject'"'"'s baseline mean blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries on both sides of the brain using transcranial Doppler ultrasound instrument;

(c) comparing the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left to normal limits;

(d) simultaneously with (c) determining if the percent carotid stenosis of the left is greater than the right;

(e) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the left anterior cerebral artery is lower than normal limits;

(f) simultaneously with (e) determining if the mean flow velocity of the right anterior cerebral artery is greater than the left;

(g) simultaneously with (f) determining if there is a right anterior cerebral artery hyperperfusion;

(h) simultaneously with (g) determining if there is a left anterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(i) determining if mean blood flow velocity in the right posterior cerebral artery is lower than normal limits;

(j) simultaneously with (i) determining if mean blood flow velocity of the left posterior cerebral artery is greater than the right;

(k) simultaneously with (j) determining if there was a right posterior cerebral artery hypoperfusion;

(l) determining the DSM-IV score using the standard questionnaire;

(m) simultaneously with (l) determining if the DSM-IV score was greater than or equal to five; and

(n) simultaneously with (m) determining if the cerebral hemodynamic model was associated with depression in women.

15. The invention of claim 14 wherein the said devices comprise a color flow Doppler and B-mode ultrasound instrument means to calculate percent carotid stenosis.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein another said device comprise a transcranial Doppler instrument means to measure cerebral blood mean flow velocity.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein the said device is operatively connected to a microcomputer program that simulates the cerebral hemodynamic model.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the percent carotid stenosis in both right and left carotid arteries are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in women.

19. The invention of claim 18 wherein the values of the mean flow velocity are used to determine the cerebral hemodynamic model in women.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein the female cerebral hemodynamic model is used for differential diagnosis of depression in women.